Egyptian author sentenced to five years for insulting religion

Egyptian author Karam Saber said that a misdemeanor court in Beni Suef sentenced him to five years on Wednesday on charges of insulting religion in a collection of short stories he wrote two years ago titled "Where is God?"

The politically active author told Aswat Masriya in a phone call on Wednesday that he plans to appeal the verdict through a legal challenge he will present to the court tomorrow.

Charges of "insulting religion" against authors, artists, television hosts and Coptic Christians have increased in recent months.

A group of plaintiffs filed a complaint against Saber in 2011, accusing him of insulting religion, but the case was only referred to the court this year.

Saber, on the other hand, insists that the collection of short stories is a work of literature that shall not be measured using "religious standards", he told AM, adding that he will continue to defend his right of expression inside and outside of the court.

Charges of insulting religion started emerging under the Hosni Mubarak regime that was toppled in an uprising in 2011 but convictions have increased since the rise of Islamists to power.

Commenting on how the case brought against him includes reports from Al-Azhar, the Church and the State Security apparatus confirming that his works do in fact insult religion, Saber asked, "Who are these institutions to evaluate works of literature?"

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Free pen

14-03-2014 04:09pm

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Details of the case

Unfortunately it is the prevalence of fraud and naming things without denominations has become slander and cash lying Tgmla , hypocrisy, fraud ploy and intelligent and delightful attack on the holy sites of the basics of thought and culture until it became naming things other than what they need for life and an urgent need for the vaunted Scientific and Cultural dealers speech and vendors of deceit and media artwork.
The ordinary people are stung by fire and these lie Alavaqan until they became like the straw in the wind -driven minds of Osmoa themselves (b elite critics and writers ) Vsaroa Ihrcnhm as they wish in any terms they want ..!
In light of current conditions in the Egyptian society and the invisible hands that messing around here and there .. ..! ! The writer Karam Saber Ibrahim exploiting religion to promote the literary work with a view to sedition and contempt and disdain for a heavenly religions and sects belonging to it under the name of " freedom of thought and expres

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Michael

15-06-2013 05:06pm

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Big mistake

Backing up Islamist....big mistake, it was in the past, it is now & it will be, till they all will be finished I hope, unfortunately history is (now) written by a group of historian (a very stupid liberal) & will not dare to tell the truth, because their master in one of them (Islamist )